1. Work-Integrated Learning:
In the TVET Sector
Ken Duncan - Nov 2015

2. The lesson of World Skills… WIL is critical to quality in TVET!

3. According to the ‘White Paper’…
“The aim of the government is to improve the amount and quality of workplace-training in South Africa… Workplace training and work-integrated learning must be a central part of our training system.”
“Work-integrated learning should be a central component of the college programmes… The extent to which students are able to get placements in the workplace will be used as an important indicator for assessing the performance of the management of institutions.“

4. Current situation with WIL in TVET
Neither of the two main curricular offerings of public TVET colleges (N courses & NCV) requires any workplace experience; the results are a case study for HEIs considering abandoning WIL
This is a critical weakness in current TVET system (OECD, 2008 & 2014; DHET White Paper, 2013)
Since 2008, SSACI has facilitated on-course workplace experience for students:
programme in all 50 colleges for ±15’000 students p.a.
part of DHET planning, monitoring & reporting systems
Sub-sectoral policy & all materials in place

5. Why WIL matters to students:
Jobs
Workplace behavioural skills
Post-secondary education/
training
Occupational skills as practised in the workplace
Workplace connections

6. Why WIL matters to institutions:
Better inputs
lead to….
improved outputs
Instructors:
Industry-experienced
Pass rate
Throughput
rate
Curricula:
Industry-aligned
Employability
Students:
Workplace experienced

7. WIL capacity in SA:
The SA economy currently comprises ±6’500’000 skilled or semi-skilled jobs in 560’000 tax-paying (i.e. profitable) companies
At one trainee per company, SA employers could therefore host ±500’000 full-time trainees per year, or a million for 6 months or 2 million for 3 months
So, the real problem is not industry capacity but lack of employer willingness

8. But doesn’t get what it wants, so… Which cuts off public colleges, so…
How business is getting it wrong:
Business pays taxes to fund skills training
But doesn’t get what it wants, so…
It pays a skills levy to fund skills training
It hires private training providers at treble the price
Which cuts off public colleges, so…
The public training system never improves
So…

9. Obstacles to WIL
Lack of employer participation is the single greatest constraint on WIL in SA: this is a historical mind-set problem
Public TVET colleges are not dependent upon or accountable to employers for their income, so their performance standards are generally unrelated to industry: this is a structural problem
Inconsistent & unreliable SETA funding is inappropriate for core curricular offerings
Government policies affecting WIL lack coherence both within & across ministries

10. What needs to be done?
WIL must be seen as essential for aligning TVET system to industry and to improving students’ employment prospects
To expand WIL, a mindset change is required of industry &, therefore:
The business case must be made clear: Return on Investment
The levy-grant system must be restructured
Organisation & funding of WIL must be built into public TVET programmes

11. Thank you!